Should Part VA of the 1972 Local Government Act, suitably amended, govern the proceedings of Standards Committees?
Bath & North East Somerset Council considers that there needs to be greater discretion given to Standards Committees to decide if it is in the public interest for individual cases to be heard entirely in public session, or whether some hearings may need to take place wholly or partly in private session. In making these decisions Standards Committee will need to have regard to the implications of the Human Rights Act, especially in relation to protecting people’s private and family rights and the protection of third parties. Where cases are heard in private there should be a guarantee that the complainant(s) have the right to be present and also that a summary report, giving the reasons for decisions reached by the Standards Committee, is made available publicly. Therefore the application of Part VA of the Local Government Act 1972 does need to be modified if it is to be applied to Standards Committee proceedings. The existing categories of “exempt” and “confidential” information as def
